The realm of the Harmonious Ones was usually a peaceful realm; or realms. Each deity held their own personal domain, and each one catered their own elements. Ebonwumon's was a swampy forest, Baihumon's a rugged canyon, Zhuqiaoumon's a realm of fire and erupting volcanos, and Azulongmon's a realm of stormy clouds and a sky filled blanketed in an aurora borealis. At their midpoint however, they merged together into a colorful blend. Brown, silver, red, and blue light circled around one another as the realms clashed together in their own distinguishing environments. All four of them were gathered, gods of the east, west, north and south.

Per usual, the god of the east was the one to gather them all and the first to speak.

"I see we are all present." Azulongmon spoke in his sage-like voice; the very sound of it holding countless wisdom.

The other gods were silent for the most part. Their faces were always fixated upon a stale look, their emotions were tied to how their bodies moved. Only those who knew of them personally could understand them.

"Aye, the humans have failed." Ebonwumon sighed. "Yep, that they did." the other head added. Both minds of the deity lowered in unison. A few leaves upon the massive tree fell upon the ancient shell. Their bright green color belied the situation at hand.

Baihumon lowered his head, growling deeply. Its tone sounded angry, awaiting to lash out at anyone, specifically the source of the rage. Beneath the feline's bold exterior, something lied underneath; a scared kitten. Although he wouldn't admit it, the guardian of the west was afraid. Out of the four he held the greatest physical might. Yet in age, he was but a mere kitten; metaphorically speaking. They had never faced such a situation, nor how to handle it.

Zhuqiaomon, the guardian of the south, reacted in a way the other four expected. Flames sparked, reducing feathers to cinders. None of the other guardians moved a muscle. These sort of outbursts happened more than once. "I knew it! We should have never placed our trust in humans!" The overblown bird bellowed. More feathers fell, producing smoke from the ashes they quickly became. The flames produced went from orange to blue in representation of his rage.

"Brother..." Azulongmon sighed exasperatingly. He had heard many of his fellow deity's rants in the past. By now he had grown used to them. "...we mustn't loose ourselves."

A blast of heat hit Azulongmon's face; it hardly affected him however, just like the rants. Even in this desperate time, the dragon could still hold his composure, an example that Baihumon and Ebonwumon latter, being the eldest, wisely stood maintained his emotions, and the youngest followed his elders.

"LOOSING MYSELF?" The bird literally set ablaze, which reached high into the heavens. "The evil one is free and your so called "chosen ones" failed to contain him!" the fires died down to a mere aura. Zhuqioumon's many eyes turned their fury to the bearded dragon. "We should have handled matters ourselves from the start." He firmly believed that, puffing out his chest for emphasis.

"You know we can't do that!" Baihumon objected. "We can't interfere in the lives of the digimon."

Ebonwumon's right head shot up. "Yeah, that's a true one, right there." The left head mimicked its twin. "They'll depend on us for every little thing...asking favors...fix every little issue." The other head stated.

Zhuqioumon felt outnumbered. His fire died away as the water of the unanimous opinions put it out. Holding his head in a sulking position, Zhuqioumon muttered, "I still think we should have done it ourselves."

The bird's opinion remained, stuck in his misanthropy towards humanity. Immediately, that sulk ended as the bird shot straight upward. Something had overcome him. It was a dark feeling, one of foreboding doom. The feeling spread like a plague towards the other guardians. Baihumon lowered his body, shivering all the while. The leaves upon Ebonwumon began to crack and dry as an eerie dark cloud spread across the holy realm. Azulongmon was the last to feel it as it passed over the others. A sound of rushing wind blew from behind. All four of them turned around and noticed a great hole had widened within the holy realm. From the whole, a dark shadow emerged, materializing before their eyes.

Grandracmon smiled as he saw the four guardians. "So, you are his successors?"

"Evil one! We will not allow you to pollute the sanctity of this realm!" Azulongmon proclaimed, as he and the others looked ready to fight.

The demon beast did the same. "Let's get to it, shall we? Your creator fell so easily...I just wonder how long you shall fair?"

XXX

The hope and resolve of the digidestined had been restored. With that said and done, they were about ready to embark towards the rest of their journey. The only problem however, was their destination. They knew how to get there, but the path to actually reach it? That was another story altogether. Additionally, they didn't know where they were even heading. Grandracmon could be anywhere, but for some reason they felt he wasn't in the Digital World.

"What makes you so sure he isn't here?" Asked Jun in response to the possibility being suggested.

Chiisi crossed his arms in certainty. "Because I can't feel him." Came the boy's response. "He had a particular dark aura, more dark than any I have ever felt before." Chiisi's eyes held an almost cold stare to them as he looked at Jun. "If he was here, I would have felt him."

"He's got a point." Sakura added. "I can sense darkness too."

That was enough for Jun to believe their words. She knew both of them were not liars and had opened her mind to new possibilities. The Digital World could be thanked for that. Yet, they were still stumped. There seemed to be no way around this situation. Maia, or Maya depending on how one would spell it, had given them words of encouragement. It had worked, but at only half effectiveness. There was still much to think about and without a clear plan, they were like lost sheep. Cliche as it sounded, it was true. This wasn't the only situation they worried about, there was still the dilemma which plagued two members of the team.

"She completely hates me." Sho thought pessimistically to himself. Sho had his back turned to his digimon, and she to his. Hesitantly, he craned his head towards her only to immediately look away. Little did he know, Labramon did the same, although neither could see them doing so. After each stolen glance, one would sigh quietly. Both of their minds were engaged in turmoiled emotions. One was guilty, and the other heartbroken.

The only calm one in this endeavor was Don Guil. The Guilmon had taken the destruction of his home very well. Sure, it may not have been what he anticipated (mostly), but most plans were not perfect. As it showed, even his brilliant plans could have bumps in the road. Still, he held some guilt in regards to the children. They were vital to his plans no doubt, but he still felt responsible for their current predicament. Silly and probably unfounded beliefs as they were, Don Guil thought hard about that. Humans were far different than digimon. The Digital World was a harsh mistress. Its inhabitants expected hard lives, particularly in digimon who preferred the wild to villages and cities. He may not have known much about the Human World, but he could tell these kids were not used to such trials. They certainly had faced enough that most would give up at, but somehow they had driven themselves to press onward. Amazing in of itself, they still couldn't completely shake off all they had witnessed.

"You know..." Don Guil began with hesitation. It was the first time he had shown such emotion. He had not shown that emotion since he first took over the family business. The reins of running this mafia had been thrust on him when he first entered adulthood. Without his mother at his side, it had been a frightening experience. But someone had been at his side. Once more, he felt Gatomon's furry embrace. His reptilian eyes stared deep into her feline eyes. Lost in each other's gaze, they grinned at one another, not afraid of showing the feelings they shared. Confidence swelled underneath his scaly chest.

"...I'd be willing to shelter you...if there's anything you need." Don Guil stepped back into hesitation for a moment. Right before Gatomon attempted to embrace her lover again, someone else spoke first.

"No thank you." Kazuya refused. The goggle boy had been silent since they had received Maia's final words. Now he felt compelled to speak. "We can't just sit and hide with the fate of the world on the line."

"I'm with you there, partner!" Gazimon chimed in along with Kazuya, per usual. "I'm itching for a rematch."

Don Guil wasn't surprised to hear that statement. As heroes, they wouldn't just sit around and do nothing. Despite the danger that loomed ahead, danger which would most certainly kill them, they were still willing to go forward. It didn't need to be said that the others shared Kazuya and Gazimon's sentiments. They were a team and they would fight as such. Amongst their shared smiles and affirmative nods, something snapped at that very moment.

"AHHHHH!" Chiisi suddenly cried.

The darkly colored boy collapsed to the ground. DemiDevimon flapped upward at his partner's sudden fall.

"Chiisi!" Sakura cried and was soon joined by the others.

Rushing to Chiisi's side, they surrounded him with care and concern in their eyes. Sakura grabbed her cousin, holding him up to her eye level. The boy's face twitched as sweat rain down his forehead. In fact, Chiisi's entire body felt warm to the touch.

"Chiisi? Speak to me!" Chiisi's sudden fever alarmed Sakura. This wasn't a normal fever, she knew that straight away; she could feel it, too.

A sharp pain surged through her body, causing her to cry out. Chiisi did the same and the two Kodiro cousins were on the floor, turning and clutching their chests.

"Sakura! Chiisi! Kid!" Kazuya, Fairydramon, and DemiDevimon's voices blended together as the trio pulled their loved ones up. When they were, everyone noticed the pair held the same look; sweaty and contorted.

"W-w-what's wrong with them?" Sho fearfully asked.

Penguinmon did his usual routine of hiding behind Jun who immediately pushed him back to the front. "Geez, grow some feathers where it counts." Jun said in an attempt to make a double entendre. Penguinmon didn't understand it, but Jun certainly did.

Amidst the shaking and voices of their friends, Chiisi and Sakura could not get rid of the emotion that plagued them currently. In their bodies they felt the sway of a powerful force growing. It was far off and distant, but the mere presence of it made them shake with fear.

Chiisi's lips quivered as he managed to spit out the dreaded word. "Darkness."

Darkness, upon the word's mention, everyone remained still. Whenever the word was involved, something bad was going down.

"It's everywhere. Spreading fast." Sakura added.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kazuya inquired.

"Exactly what it says, goggle-head." DemiDevimon retorted in a voice that said to Kazuya, "you're asking the obvious".

Ignoring that stealthy insult for the moment, Kazuya turned his attention back to his speaking friends.

"A massive surge of darkness has just sprung up." Chiisi explained. His voice had grown less pained as did his body.

Sakura's body did the very same as well as her voice. "This one was huge...it had to be Grandracmon's doing." That may have been the obvious, but it certainly held an air of fear behind it.

"Where's it coming from?" Fairydramon asked with a serious tone. If her partner felt such evil, than Fairydramon knew that it would potentially cause her harm.

"I don't know...everywhere." Sakura answered.

"Well, we'll just go after them all!" Gazimon piped confidently.

Shortly after Sakura spoke, Chiisi's body had returned to it's former calm demeanor. Brushing a loose strand of his hair aside, the boy looked up at them with his cold eyes. "There's no time. The surges are too far and wide. Even if we do manage to reach them all, it would be too late."

"Too late for what?" Sho asked, again showing the fear in his voice.

Chiisi stared at his older bi-racial friend. The silence and the sternness of the look simply told him the possible consequences of undertaking such a task. Simply put, they would try but they would fail.

Hopelessness filled everyone's mind, completely obliterating the former hope they had. A new dilemma had just filled their minds and at the present time, they were clueless on how to get past it. Kazuya on the other hand didn't seem willing to give up. The boy thought hard on what they should do. There had to be a way around it. The question was how?

"Ugh, I got nothing!" Kazuya at last exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air in defeat.

"Oh, come on pal! Aren't you Mr Optimism?" Gazimon questioned skeptically.

Kazuya shot his partner a glare. "Hey, Even I have moments of doubt."

"There could be a way."

Out of the moment of dread, a voice spoke up against the darkness that loomed. Chiisi had been the first to regain his composure since he felt the evil surge. Now, he was the first with an idea to their plight. A few of them looked on skeptically at the boy's proclamation, but it didn't last; if anyone had a knowledge about darkness, it was Chiisi.

"What do you have in mind, kid?" DemiDevimon was the first to demonstrate his trust in him.

Chiisi felt a boost of confidence inside him, but he held his own hesitation. Darkness was always a difficult subject for him; for obvious reasons. Sakura knew it as well. She couldn't forget how she was forced to fight against her own cousin back when he was corrupted into the dark prince. Looking right into her younger cousin's eyes, she spoke without words.

"You can do this, Chiisi."

Chiisi picked up on it and he was thankful for it.

"If I can channel the darkness, then perhaps I could move us to the different spots it has manifested." Chiisi explained.

The abrupt explanation appeared to ring interest in the rest of the group. Everyone else looked at one another and agreed...almost everyone, that is.

"Hold on a second!" Jun was part of the almost everyone category. "Don't get me wrong, this idea sounds like it could work, but I don't want to end up being dropped on a mountain or at the bottom of the sea."

"Relax, all of them are on land." Chiisi reassured. It almost worked on Jun, but an exact location was needed. Chiisi didn't need to be told that. Closing his eyes, he began to focus. His focus lasted for a full minute before he opened his eyes. "One of them is across the sea, another is where the castle was, and the other..." Chiisi closed his eyes once more. He opened them again quickly and with disbelief. "It's right here...it's in the city."

Looks of gaping surprise travelled all around. The thought of such an evil formation in their own metaphorical backyard. Several hands fell to their digivices in preparation for an evolution. Chiisi however, eyed them with reassurance.

"I say we split up." Kazuya suddenly announced. "That way we could take them all at once."

Another argument would have followed out of Jun, but she knew what was at stake. Personal feelings would have to be put aside. "I take the farthest one." Jun flashed a cocky smile. Penguinmon on the other flipper wasn't so happy at that news. "Keep your beak shut." Jun commanded. Penguinmon obediently obeyed.

"I want to take the castle!" Sakura suddenly announced. Her sudden outburst was sudden and unexpected, but Fairydramon knew immediately why.

Kazuya was still in the dark, yet wherever Sakura went, he would follow. "I'm going with you." A simple smile was exchanged between the two friends. Fairydramon would follow the same path as always, and that was enough for Gazimon.

"And wherever Fairydramon goes, I go!" Gazimon grabbed hold of Fairydramon's scaly arm. The dragoness scowled in annoyance for only a few moments. For some reason, she didn't mind Gazimon's touch as much.

"Then that leaves the city to Sho and I." Said Chiisi.

Sho let out a weary sigh. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

Clenching his fist, Kazuya raised it high to the air. "All right guys. Let's do this!"

Don Guil smiled at the cheer. The party's renewed resolve strengthened his own. His worries were nonexistent as he sat back and watched the show. The show itself was the Digital World's heroes going to do their jobs; saving the world. A cold chill ran through the air as Chiisi raised up his hands. The chillness may have been cold, but the evil scent was nonexistent. Two dark portals opened up, large enough for two groups to pass through. Kazuya, Sakura, and their respective digimon went through one, while Jun and Penguinmon went through another. Chiisi, Sho, and their own digimon were the only ones left.

"We should get walking." Chiisi directed before walking off with DemiDevimon perched on his shoulder.

Sho sighed again with a shrug of his shoulders and went off as well. Labramon hung her head low as she dutifully followed after.

"There they go." Don Guil commented. The embrace of Gatomon felt even warmer. "They didn't even have a hint of fear in their eyes when they stepped through." The children and their digimon indeed stepped through the dark portals without any sort of hesitation. It was admirable.

"Hopefully, they can keep the world safe for us." Gatomon purred sinking into her master. "The three of us, that is."

Don Guil's eyes widened at the last bit. "What?"

Gatomon looked him right in the eye, grabbed his claw, and moved it toward her belly. As his lover grinned, Don Guil fainted right then and there.

XXX

Power; for so long he had craved it, and now he tasted it. It had frightened him at first, he never had imagined it would be like this. Moving his arm up, the leather that coated his body stretched with a sliding squeak. Its very sound was music to his ears.

"Yes! Now this is da kind of thing I'm talking about!" He exclaimed in his accented voice.

Amidst his joy, he sensed something, putting the jovial moment on hold. Something was coming. It was far off but he knew the scent; darkness. The scent soon vanished but left some new ones behind. At first he couldn't believe it, but he quickly recognized them.

"Well, look who decided to show up." He remarked with a smirk. "How's about we go pay dem a little visit?" He asked to his companion.

A sickening squelch sounded out as a single eyeball turned to face the demonic digimon. "There is no need for asking," The digimon responded in a feminine, but emotionless voice. "Our master gave us this power to destroy the chosen ones."

In response to her blank response, he sighed. "Never a dull moment with you is dere?" He sarcastically remarked. His companion didn't seem to care about that remark as well.

From the ruins of Fallen Angel castle, a flapping of wings and the hum of a motorcycle rang out. Soon there was silence once more as its former inhabitants departed.

XXX

Monde Gardens; a place of tranquility amongst the bright lights. It was surprising to find a place of nature within the city. The group of Chiisi, Sho, and their digimon stumbled across this place, not for recreation but for purpose. Chiisi's sense of darkness had brought them here...much to Sho's chagrin... but duty called.

"Looks pretty nice, huh?" Sho commented to no one other than Labramon.

The canine looked at her partner without much emotion in her eyes. "Sure..." Turning her head away she sighed. In turn, Sho sighed as well. He just couldn't make his partner happy anymore.

"This is where the darkness is flowing from." Chiisi announced. "We should get going." He said while brushing a strand of hair aside.

The party walked inside the wide gate into the gardens. Cobblestones lined the path, and tall hedges walled their sides. The path in the middle led to a colorful flowerbed. None of the flowers looked like they were from earth, coming in shades of purple, red, blue, green among others, all mixed together into a pleasant blend. From the flower's center, the cobblestone path separated into three different hedge walls. More than likely they led to further parts of the garden with even more botanical splendor. From the tranquil surroundings, the idea that it was filled with the powers of darkness seemed far fetched.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Asked Sho.

"I'm sure." Came Chiisi's quick response.

Looking around, Sho could hardly see any reason Chiisi would come to that conclusion. "The place looks fine to me."

"Hey, the kid knows what he's talking about." DemiDevimon breathed in some fresh air as he stretched his wings. "Just smell that dark air, it's refreshing."

Dark and refreshing didn't seem like a good mix, but to a dark digimon it was. While Sho may not have been able to feel it, Chiisi and DemiDevimon could still smell it. Labramon's hair stood on end showing she could feel it as well. A low growl escaped her throat, alerting Sho. The growling made his chest tighten with nervousness. At that moment, the teen started to believe in the younger boy's words.

"Agh!" Chiisi let out a groan as he felt pain in his chest; just like before.

"What's wrong?" Sho cried, the panic inside him swelling up.

Chiisi was about to answer, that is until he felt the pain in his chest once more. It beat inside him like a heart. That was the least of his thoughts the moment he felt the wind blow. Sho's panicked cries and Labramon's barks mixed in with the howls of the air. The wind began to twirl like a cyclone. There was a crack of what sounded like thunder and above a dark cloud formed. The cloud then burst into a mist entrapping everyone within. Instantly it vanished, leaving no one within the Monde Gardens.

XXX

The next thing Sho felt was something soft against his body and in his mouth; it was sand. Immediately he spat it out, or at least attempting to, though he could still taste the grainy feeling in his mouth. Raising himself up, his eyes winced at the sunlight that beat down on him. With squinted sight he managed to survey the land around him. Nothing but golden sand and blue skies greeted him. Standing out amongst the gold, a furry kind lied close to him.

"Labramon!"

Sho's voice turned the canine right around. Labramon's body language indicated she was excited, and for a moment she certainly appeared so. But the moment she noticed Sho, her expression fell.

"Oh...hello Sho." Labramon muttered sadly.

Sho's expression fell. "Labramon...come on." This had been going on long enough. Every time he noticed Labramon's depression, he in turn felt it. Right about now he wished he could turn back the clock, just to switch events around so different words were exchanged. The past couldn't be changed, and he had to live with what he had said. Not if he had a choice however. The past could not be changed, but he could still make amends.

"Labramon. " Sho called roughly. It was an attempt to make himself more commanding. Labramon picked up on the change of tone in his voice, yet still wore the same expression she always wore, at least recently.

"Yes, Sho?" Her voice sounded so depressed. It was heartbreaking for Sho to see his once perky digimon reduced to this.

The boy almost didn't say anything. Just looking at her sad puppy dog eyes was enough to make him hesitate. That, or Sho was still a weakling.

"Labramon...I-" He managed to get a couple words out. Still, it wasn't enough, he needed a few more.

"OHHOHOHOHOHO!" Before Sho could get another word out, loud laughter filled the air. It was loud, infectious, and befitting that of a noblewoman.

"My my. Such a sad state of affairs." The voice came again. Sho and Labramon looked about, searching for who could be speaking. They found no one, but the laughter came again.

"Up here, my little sparrows."

Taking cue, the pair looked up to see something materializing within the air. Black was the first color they saw, followed by pale skin. They had seen this figure before, and when it materialized in full, they knew who it was, and they felt nervous.

Lilithmon floated above, staring down at the duo with a smirk upon her face.

"You're one of the Fallen Angels!" Sho cried fearfully. Labramon growled, bearing her teeth and brandishing her claws.

Lilithmon hardly seemed affected by that. Instead, she floated down, leaning in a relaxing position. "Oh please, enough with the dramatics, I wouldn't dream of fighting you two." The succubus landed upon the soft ground and flicked her dress aside, exposing her bare legs.

For a moment, Sho felt hot as he stared at that naked skin. So soft and smooth it looked, he could feel his hormones acting up already. Labramon noticed this and immediately went on full alert. "Just what do you want, you evil hussy?" Labramon snarled.

Once more, Lilithmon didn't seemed the least bit affected. "Still defending him I see?"

Labramon didn't falter at that. "Why wouldn't I? He's my partner, I have to protect him!" When he heard that, Sho felt hopeful, hopeful that he and his digimon would regain their former relationship.

Looking down at the loyal canine, Lilithmon smirked. "Why protect someone who broke your heart?" The question made Labramon's growls cease; Sho's hope fell as well. Slowly, Lilithmon began to circle the pair speaking in her sultry tone. "You waited for this boy ever since you were a digitama, dreaming of being by his side."

Labramon and Sho could feel something in the air at that moment. They weren't sure what it was, but it felt like it was sinking into their skin. Their emotions and heads felt light and susceptible.

"And when he arrived, you were as happy as could be, no?" Lilithmon poised another question.

Labramon didn't need to think hard on that one. "Yes...I was happy to see him." For a brief moment, her tail wagged. The memory of her first meeting with Sho was a fond one. Indeed, she had waited for Sho a long time, even before she knew who he was. His face had been ingrained inside her head for a long time. When they finally did meet, she felt the joy inside her ready to burst. She wished she could relive that moment, if only to savor it.

"You devoted yourself to him, even ready to lay your life down for him." Lilithmon continued.

Again, that was true. Sho was her human, and she would protect him with her life if need be. Sho continued to listen, the hope inside him dwindling all the more.

"But it was more than that for you, wasn't it?" Lilithmon poised. "For you it went beyond a mere partnership. You grew to have feelings for him."

A third time that was true. Even Sho knew that, but said nothing in regards to it. It felt too awkward to bring up.

"Uh huh." Labramon responded.

"And what did he do?" Lilithmon asked.

Labramon looked down at her paws, which were digging in the sand. "He didn't feel the same way about me." Saying that gutted her, Sho as well. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt Labramon.

Lilithmon wickedly grinned. "Yes, he did. After all you did for him, it was just so painful, wasn't it?"

Sho heard a sniff coming from Labramon. Following the sniff, there was a gritting sound, a grinding of teeth. Turning her head around, Sho saw tears flowing down from Labramon's eyes. The strange sensation that filled the air was intensified. "Why Sho-chan? Why can't you feel the same way about me?" Anger had gripped the canine's entire being. Sho didn't know what to say, so he merely stood there with guilt.

Lilithmon craned her head down to Labramon's level. "Such a thoughtless boy, hurting his friend like that." Her voice sounded sympathetic. "Don't worry, I know a way to make the pain go away." Lilithmon's grin grew even more wicked, right before she disappeared. Labramon blinked once and before her eyes, Lilithmon materialized in front of Sho.

Sho felt very cold at that moment. The woman before him gave an intimidating yet alluring presence. Still, the cold feeling remained nonetheless. In moments he felt coldness spread around his entire body. His eyes went wide when he first saw it. The nails of her decayed hand extended into long blades. Rearing it back, she lunged forward. Sho's wide eyes practically bugged out of their head, right as Lilithmon's nails jammed into his gut. Labramon gasped as the spray of blood coughed out of Sho's mouth.

"SHO-CHAN!" Labramon screamed.

Lilithmon retracted her blood stained nails. "I've stained my nails." Lilithmon lamented.

"YOU HEARTLESS BITCH!"

Lilithmon was alerted to Labramon's screams of fury. However, she wasn't the least bit intimidated, even when Labramon charged towards her. With a short chuckle, she vanished right as Labramon lunged. The canine fell face first into the sand. That didn't deter her fury. "GET BACK HERE!" Labramon screamed, but to no avail; Lilithmon was gone.

The demon woman was the least of her worries. What really was important was the one that had fallen.

"Sho-Chan!" Labramon screamed, rushing over to the boy.

Blood stained the sand coloring it a grainy red, like encrusted blood. Looking at his face, Labramon could see no life shining in his eyes. She shook her head in disbelief, not bothering to hold back their tears.

"Sho-chan...my Sho-chan." She whimpered. With deep breaths her chest heaved. Her mind filled with despair and gloom. Yet, within that darkness, she found a light of possibility. There was something she could do to save her beloved Sho-chan. Standing firm, but hiccuping a sob occasionally, she held out her chest and uttered softly, "Cure Liquor."

Labramon's body began to glow a myriad of rainbow colors. Sparkles shone off her fur like diamonds. With a twinkling sound, they transferred from Labramon, to Sho's corpse. Sho's body glowed just the same as Labramon's. Labramon's face strained as the sparkles continued to coat Sho. The coat appeared to be doing its job. Sho's wounds began to close and all traces of blood vanished from him. Additionally, his clothing mended itself. The life in Sho's eyes began to flash, and in moments he blinked.

"W-Wha?" Sho rose in confusion at what had happened. "Did I die?" Sho asked, as he came to his senses, rising to his feet with his legs shaking like jelly.

His eyes still had trouble focusing on the sunlight. Like before, he noticed a particular gold among the sand.

"Labramon!" He cried when he noticed Labramon collapsed and glowing. Not even afraid of the body change of his digimon, Sho grabbed hold of her. "Labramon! Are you okay?" Shaking her body provoked no response.

Labramon didn't need shaking to respond. She had heard Sho. "S-S-Sho-chan?" Labramon asked. When she smiled, she felt relief. "I did it, my Cure Liquor worked."

"Cure Liquor?" Sho spoke in confusion. Then he remembered the attack Labramon had mentioned long ago. It had been fortunate that Labramon possessed such an attack, or healing move, to be more precise. Yet, something didn't seem right.

Labramon's body began to distort and ripple. The sparkles around her body started to feel lighter and for a moment, Sho saw her fade in and out.

"What's wrong with you?" Sho shook his digimon again.

Labramon whimpered and smiled. "I-I-It's all right Sho-chan, It's all right."

Sho remembered something Labramon had explained once. He had died, and Labramon had used her ability to it's full power. That could only mean one thing. "Labramon! Hang on!" Sho panicked. "I'll get some help!" Of course help was nowhere to be found, nor would it be ever.

"Sho-chan?"

Labramon's voice whispered to the human.

Sho listened well, holding her close. "Labramon, don't speak."

Labramon could only manage to smile. "Goodbye Sho-chan, I was glad to have met you." Her body continued to distort, fading in and out of existence. Labramon smiled once more. "I...love...you." Labramon's body burst into a million sparkles that vanished into the air.

Sho sat there stunned, not moving an inch. Clenching his fists, he finally spoke. "LABRAMON!" He screamed to the sky, and then he cried.

To be continued...